Wall panel



Nov. 18, 1941. Q MECHUN 2,262,899 1 WALL PANEL Filed March 21, 1940 0504? H MECHL/N Patented Nov 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PAT OFFICE.

WALL PANEL Oscar A. Mechlin, Washington, D. C. Application March 21, 1940, Serial No. 325,2i9

3 Claims.

The invention relates to a method of forming a reinforced concrete wall panel and to a method of connecting said wall panel to the framing structure surrounding the same.

The principal object of the invention, generally considered, is to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical means or method of forming in situ a wall panel so constructed and arranged as to provide a satisfactory wall portion having adequate strength to resist lateral pressure and of high insulating value in proportion to its thickness.

To these and other ends the invention con sists of the various steps as hereinafter set forth,

the nov'el features thereof being pointed out.in the claims forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross section showing the completed wall panel assembled with framing or column members which for convenience are illustrated as also being composed of reinforced concrete.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through a wall panel showing the reinforcement between the structural members and showing the panel positioned in reference to a floor and roof construction.

Throughout the specification and drawing like parts are designated by like reference characters.-

' In the construction of buildings there are provided both vertical column members and horizontal beam members, the beam members being connected to the column members and forming the foundation for the wall portions which are of course connected to both the overlying and underlying beam members and so related to the column members as to afford at their juncture an air and water tight connection.

The wall panel forming the subject matter of.

tally extending beam members 5 and 6. Certain r adjacent pairs of structural members 3 are then connected by the diagonal reinforcing or latticing shown most clearly in Figure 2 and designated by the reference character 1. It will, of course, be understood that the structural memrow of structural members and the plane of a bers 3 are connected to the respective dowels by being wired or otherwise suitably secured.

After the structural members have been positioned and certain of the irmer and outer members are connected by the reinforcement which it might be stated can be applied either after the members are in position or prior thereto, as

desired, there is placed on the outer face of the outer row of structural members and rigidly connected to each a foraminous sheet which may be either continuous for the width and height ofthe wall panel or in sections as, desired. This foraminous sheet is indicated by the full lines in Figure 1 andyis designated by the reference character 8.

After the foraminous sheet 8 has been positioned and secured there is inserted between each connected pair of the structural members 3 a blanket of compressible insulating material which may be and preferably is formed of glass wool, as indicated by the reference numeral 9,

although it is to be understood that other types of insulation, such as rock ,wool, asbestos, Celotex, or the like, may be employed if desired. In

the event that the type of insulation utilized is of moisture absorbing iib'er, it is essential that.

the outer and inner faces of the blanket be covered with a coating which is substantially impervious to moisture, such as asphaltic paper, and it is considered good practice to also encase the blanket of glass wool, rock wool, or the like, in a wrapper envelope which may be wire mesh, such as chicken wire or the like, if desired.

It will be understood that the glass wool blanket is of greater thickness than the distance between the foraminous sheet applied to the outer similar foraminous sheet applied and rigidly connect'ed to the outer faces of the inner row of structural members so that the glass wool or other insulating blanket is slightly compressed by being confined between the two foraminous' sheets.

After the completion of the operations hereinbefore described I apply to both the inner and outer foraminous sheets a cementitious compound preferably of the character generally known in the trade as Gunite. This material is a mixture of Portlandcement, sand and/or gravel and water,

the said mixture being applied to the foraminous sheets by being projected thereonat high velocity by compressed air flowing through the nozzle which is piped to said mixture, and compressed air forcing the cementitious material to the nozzle under high velocity and causing the same toimpinge upon the foraminous sheet. The

in each of which is also embedded the vertical structural members associated with the for'ami nous sheet or plate. The panel being formed in situ is, by the method hereinbefore described,"

' at opposite ends to one projection in each beam,

made an integral and essential part of the building construction and, as hereinbefore stated, possesses ample strength against lateral deformation due to wind pressure and the like. i

If it. is desired there may be applied to the outer face of the wall panel a finished coat of colored cement or otherwise treated cement for decorative purposes.

While I have described my invention and the application thereof to a building in situ, it will, of course, be evident to those skilled in the art that this panel may be prefabricated and then secured to the dowels, and the intervening spaces filled with cement by the method described or in any other desired or preferred manner.

It is therefore to be noted that where in the appended claims I refer to a'wall panel I intend what I claim is:

l. The method of forming a, wall panel which comprises securing to adjacent faces of a pair of horizontally extending beams a plurality of spaced pairs of laterally spaced structural members forming two spaced rows, connecting at vertically spaced points certain of said pairs of said the invention and a pre- I ferred.. method. of the construction of the same,

structural members, securing to the outer faces of one row of structural members a foraminous sheet, interposing between each pair of connected structural members and said foraminous sheet an insulating blanket, enclosing and compressing said blanket by securing to the outer faces of the other row of structural members a foraminous sheet, and finally embedding in cementitious of a pair of superposed beams two longitudinally extending rows of projections, connecting a series I of structural members to said projections of each beam, each structural member being connected connecting certain of the structural members of each row to the opposite structural member of the other row by lattice reinforcingmeans, connecting an expanded metal sheet to the outer faces of one row of structural members, interposing between each pair of connected structura1 members and in contact with the said sheet a blanket of insulating material, compressing said material by connecting to the outer faces of v the other row of structural members a like reinforcing sheet, and finally impinging cementitious "material upon said sheets with sufficient force and velocity to embed in said cementitious mate rial the said sheets and their associated structural members.

3. The method of forming in situ between hori- Zzontal beams and vertical columns a wall panel one row to certain members in an adjacent row by metallic reinforcing means, connecting to the outer faces of one row'of upright members an expanded metal sheet, interposing between each pair of connected upright reinforcing members and the connecting sheet a hat of glass wool, compressing said bat by securing to the outer faces of the adjacent row of upright members a slimilar expanded metallic sheet,:and finally applying under high velocity and pressure a cement compound to thereby completely embed the said reinforcing structural members and sheets.

OSCAR A. 

